Aidan McAteer jailed over girl’s hit and run death

Aidan McAteer has been jailed for nine years and four months for causing the death by dangerous driving of four-year-old Violet-Grace Youens.

McAteer, 23, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday).

He admitted causing the youngster’s death and causing serious injury to her grandamother Angela French when he ploughed a stolen car into the pair after speeding through a red light on Prescot Road.

A second man, Dean Brendan, is was also sentenced today.

Both men fled the scene of the crash, with McAteer later leaving the country.

Brennan, 27, who is also from the Prescot area, was charged with assisting an offender and aggravated vehicle taking.

Violet-Grace Youens

He was sentenced to six years, eight months in prison.

Det Insp Jason Pye said: “Today McAteer and Brennan were sentenced for their part in the collision which led to the death of Violet-Grace.

“Their actions in leaving the scene of their collision following the crash and continuing to attempt to evade justice rightly shocked and angered the local community and the people of Merseyside as a whole.

“I hope that their prison sentences will give them time to reflect on the consequences of their actions – not only on Violet-Grace’s family but their own families as well.

“Although no sentence, however long, can ever bring Violet-Grace back I hope that it gives her family some sense of closure and allows them to instead reflect on the love and happiness their daughter brought them.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Violet-Grace’s family for their courage and dignity throughout this whole process and also to the team of detectives who worked round the clock to find the people responsible and bring them to justice.”